Wife of alleged Virginia shooter: 'I can't believe he did this'

Tonya Becker

WANG: Yeah, I've talked to some folks, and they say that they're surprised that this happened. This 2006 photo provided by the St. Clair County, Ill., Sheriff's Department shows James T. Hodgkinson. And last November, Hillary Clinton beat Trump by just a few thousand votes.

Rieck was the first reporter in the office on the morning of the shooting and was looking for local reaction before she learned the shooter was from the city.

Trump, who visited Scalise at the hospital on Wednesday, said Scalise was "in some trouble but he's going to be okay, we hope". Among those was House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who remains hospitalized after undergoing several surgeries after being shot in the hip.

Back home in Belleville, Illinois, Hodgkinson wrote letters to the editor and called his congressman.

As Duncan was leaving he came upon Hodgkinson in the parking lot and said Hodgkinson asked "if the players on the field were Republicans or Democrats".

The gunman's brother, Mr Michael Hodgkinson, said: "I know he wasn't happy with the way things were going, the election results and stuff". Authorities were investigating Hodgkinson's social media posts, a cellphone, computer and camera taken from his van.

Mr Dale Walsh, who identified himself as a friend, said Hodgkinson had been a vibrant presence when he was younger.

While trying to drive away from that confrontation, the report said, Hodgkinson used a pocket knife to cut a seat belt. She said her daughter and a 2-year-old grandson had moved in with the Hodgkinsons before that, and her husband may have left because he wanted "a break from it".

At the YMCA, Hodgkinson was nondescript: he always wore black trousers and golf shirts, sometimes beige, sometimes gray, sometimes black. "I can not believe it", she said. "But he never really implied one way or the other that he was pro-Democrat, anti-GOP Republican or anything like that".

She said she didn't necessarily consider his departure odd. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him". "I'm a strong believer in the NRA", Collins said.

He retrieved a rifle and opened fire. The YMCA said that Hodgkinson had canceled his membership on Tuesday, and said he was moving. He always drank Budweiser from a can and drank alone, barely speaking to anyone, including the bartenders.

A spokeswoman for Capitol Police did not return CNN's request for comment.

Authorities believe the 66-year-old had been living out of a van in northern Virginia since March after leaving his southern IL home. And the people told me, you know, despite these splits, it doesn't divide them personally, and they're able to get along.

Share this:

Hot News

Wife: Man Who Shot Congressman Wanted to Work on Tax PolicyJun 18, 2017 - 00:08
A former mayor of Alexandria, William Euille, told CNN that he saw Hodgkinson around the YMCA, and described him as a " loner ". He was squeezing off five or six rounds at a time , according to the report of the incident, and fired about 50 shots in all.

Stielike sacked after latest Korea defeatJun 17, 2017 - 07:33
Stielike's high point was leading South Korea to the final of the 2015 Asian Cup where it lost 2-1 to Australia after extra-time. Stielike's side, however, is just one point above No. 3 Uzbekistan with two matches remaining.

Arrest warrants out for Turkish agents, others in DC meleeJun 16, 2017 - 04:00
The entire security detail for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey left the country with him just hours after the incident. Eyup Yildirim was arrested in New Jersey on charges of assault with significant bodily injury and aggravated assault .

US, CentAm officials meet as Trump signals shiftJun 16, 2017 - 03:56
President Trump, who has dismissed the investigations as a "witch hunt", has already retained his own attorney, Marc Kasowitz . The Washington Post first reported Pence was hiring counsel.

Apple allows users to tip content creatorsJun 15, 2017 - 01:29
And this app in question, believe it or not, generates tens of thousands of dollars each and every single month. Hopefully, when iOS 11 launches these bugs will be removed as well.

Jury in Bill Cosby sex assault case studies his depositionJun 14, 2017 - 06:05
O'Neill, however, said he is not permitted to elaborate beyond what was written in the charges he had sent back with the jury. Pointing to what he claimed were Constand's inconsistent statements, McMonagle and co-defense lawyer Angela C.

Netanyahu: No interest in escalation over Gaza power spatJun 14, 2017 - 06:03
The request from PA President Mahmoud Abbas is part of escalating tensions between his Fatah faction and Hamas, which runs Gaza. The Haaretz newspaper reports that Israel's Cabinet chose to cut back supplies but this could not be immediately confirmed.

Eddie Lacy passes his latest weigh-in, cashes inJun 13, 2017 - 07:28
Last season he weighed in at 234 pounds and rushed for a career-low 360 yards, after only appearing in five games. The Seahawks have put together roughly seven formal weigh ins for Lacy , which were inserted into his contract.

Putin says claims he has compromising info on Trump are 'nonsense'Jun 12, 2017 - 08:46
You create a sensation out of nothing and out of this sensation, you turn it into a weapon of war against the current president. President Putin said Russian Federation is operating on a "democratic path" and was put off to be asked about that subject.

Iran arrests 7 suspects for supporting Tehran attacksJun 11, 2017 - 09:05
On Wednesday, two deadly terror attacks took place in Tehran , and ISIS has since claimed responsibility. The four-minute video shows three masked men sitting on a floor holding automatic rifles.